Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features NGC 5335 - a barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Virgo. 



The photo was captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. According to <a href="https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/04/Barred_Spiral_Galaxy_NGC_5335" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>, thousands of distant galaxies are speckled throughout the image in a variety of colors.&nbsp;



Hubble is revealing how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-galaxies-discovery-would-upend-current-understanding-of-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxies</a> form, grow, and evolve over cosmic time by capturing detailed images of galaxies at various stages of development, from the nearby universe to billions of light-years away. 



Hubble images have shown us that galaxies collide and merge, that star formation varies across different types of galaxies, and that supermassive black holes often lie at their centers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-ngc-5335">Studying NGC 5335</h2>



The galaxy NGC 5335 lies approximately 160 million light-years from Earth. It is classified as an SB(s)bc type galaxy, indicating a well-defined bar structure across its center with less distinct spiral arms. The galaxy was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on May 13, 1793. 



Like many galaxies of its type, NGC 5335 features active <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/star-formation-reignited-in-the-galaxy-leo-p-after-billions-of-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">star formation</a>, especially in its spiral arms, where interstellar gas and dust provide the raw material for new stars. 



Observations in different wavelengths, including infrared and ultraviolet, help astronomers study its stellar population and the dynamics of its central bar.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hubble-s-view-of-the-spiral-galaxy-nbsp">Hubble’s view of the spiral galaxy&nbsp;</h2>



“NGC 5335 is categorized as a flocculent spiral galaxy with patchy streamers of star formation across its disk. There is a striking lack of well-defined spiral arms that are commonly found among galaxies, including our Milky Way,” noted ESA.



“A notable bar structure slices across the center of the galaxy. The bar channels gas inwards toward the galactic center, fueling star formation.”&nbsp;



“Such bars are dynamic in galaxies and may come and go over two-billion-year intervals. They appear in about 30 percent of observed galaxies, including our Milky Way.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-galactic-bar-in-the-milky-way-nbsp">Galactic bar in the Milky Way&nbsp;</h2>



The bar in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astronomers-found-something-strange-at-core-of-milky-way-galaxy-webb-meerkat/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milky Way</a> is a vast, elongated structure composed mostly of stars, stretching across the galaxy’s central region. It is a key feature of our galaxy’s architecture, spanning about 27,000 light-years and oriented at an angle relative to the galaxy’s spiral arms.&nbsp;



Astronomers believe it plays a crucial role in the dynamics and evolution of the Milky Way by funneling gas inward toward the galactic center, which can feed star formation and fuel the supermassive black hole at the core.&nbsp;



The bar is thought to have formed from instabilities in the galactic disk and continues to influence the motion of stars and the overall gravitational balance of the galaxy.&nbsp;



Observations in infrared and radio wavelengths, which can pierce through the dust in the galactic plane, have helped scientists map the bar’s size, shape, and orientation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-constellation-virgo-nbsp">The constellation Virgo&nbsp;</h2>



Virgo is one of the most prominent and well-known constellations in the night sky, both astronomically and mythologically. It is the second-largest constellation by area and lies along the zodiac, making it one of the twelve constellations through which the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/team-creates-video-showing-the-sun-in-gamma-rays-over-a-14-year-period/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sun</a> appears to move during the year. 



Virgo is most visible in the evening sky in the Northern Hemisphere during spring, particularly in April and May. Its name means “virgin” in Latin.



Virgo is traditionally associated with various fertility and agriculture goddesses across different cultures, including the Greek goddess Demeter and her daughter Persephone, as well as the Roman goddess Ceres. 



In some myths, Virgo represents Astraea, the virgin goddess of justice who fled to the heavens during the corruption of mankind.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-astronomical-significance-of-virgo">Astronomical significance of Virgo</h2>



Astronomically, Virgo is situated between Leo to the west and Libra to the east. One of its most notable stars is Spica, the brightest star in Virgo and one of the brightest in the night sky.&nbsp;



Spica is a blue-white giant, located approximately 250 light-years from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/was-early-earth-a-purple-planet-scientists-say-its-possible/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth</a>. It has been important for navigation and agriculture for centuries, marking planting and harvest times in ancient calendars.



Virgo is also of great interest to astronomers because it hosts the Virgo Cluster, a massive cluster of galaxies about 65 million light-years away.&nbsp;



This cluster contains more than 1,000 galaxies, and it's part of the larger Virgo Supercluster, which also includes our own Local Group of galaxies. This makes Virgo a key area for studying large-scale structures in the universe.



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Hubble spotlights galaxies in the constellation Virgo

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features NGC 5335 - a barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Virgo. The photo was captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. According to ESA, thousands of distant galaxies are speckled throughout the image in a variety of colors.&nbsp; Hubble is revealing how galaxies form, grow, and evolve over cosmic time by capturing detailed images of galaxies at various stages of development, from the nearby universe to billions of light-years away. Hubble images...

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features the galaxy ESO 300-16, which is located 28.7 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Eridanus. 



The galaxy is part of the ESO (European Southern Observatory) catalog, which includes a vast collection of galaxies observed in the southern hemisphere.



ESO 300-16 is notable for its chaotic structure, lacking the well-defined <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/hubble-captures-a-collection-of-spiral-galaxies/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">spiral arms</a> or elliptical shape seen in many other galaxies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ghostly-assemblage-of-stars">Ghostly assemblage of stars</h2>



According to <a href="https://www.esa.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>, ESO 300-16 is a ghostly assemblage of stars which resembles a sparkling cloud.&nbsp;



"A rogue’s gallery of distant galaxies and foreground stars complete this astronomical portrait, which was captured by the Advanced Camera for Surveys," said ESA.



"This observation is one of a series which aims to get to know our galactic neighbors; around three quarters of the known galaxies suspected to lie within 10 megaparsecs of Earth have been observed by Hubble in enough detail to resolve their brightest stars and establish the distances to these galaxies."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-irregular-galaxy-structure">Irregular galaxy structure </h2>



ESO 300-16 lies at a relatively close distance to Earth compared to many other extragalactic objects, making it an interesting target for studies on galaxy formation and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massive-galactic-explosion-provides-clues-about-galaxy-evolution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evolution</a>. 



The galaxy's irregular structure suggests that it may have undergone past interactions with other galaxies or is in a stage of dynamic evolution.



One of the most striking features of ESO 300-16 is its wispy, diffuse appearance, with scattered patches of bright star-forming regions embedded within a fainter background. This indicates ongoing star formation, which is a common characteristic of irregular galaxies. 



Unlike large <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-mesmerizing-beauty-of-spiral-galaxies/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">spiral galaxies</a>, where star formation is often concentrated in well-organized arms, ESO 300-16's active regions are more randomly distributed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-raw-material-for-star-formation">Raw material for star formation</h2>



Due to its irregular nature, the galaxy does not have a well-defined nucleus. Instead, it appears as a loose collection of stars, gas, and dust, which astronomers can study to understand the processes shaping such galaxies. 



Irregular galaxies like ESO 300-16 are often rich in gas and dust, providing the raw material for new stars to form. 



Observations in different wavelengths, such as infrared and ultraviolet, can help reveal the presence of young, hot stars and cooler dust clouds that might be sites of future <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/star-formation-reignited-in-the-galaxy-leo-p-after-billions-of-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">star formation</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-the-evolution-of-galaxies">Studying the evolution of galaxies </h2>



Hubble observations of ESO 300-16 provide insight into the structure and stellar populations of the galaxy, helping astronomers piece together its history and evolutionary path. 



The study of galaxies like ESO 300-16 contributes to our broader understanding of how galaxies form and evolve, especially those that do not fit into the traditional classifications of spirals and ellipticals.



Because irregular galaxies are often shaped by gravitational interactions or past mergers, ESO 300-16 may have had a turbulent past. 



It could have once been part of a larger system before being disrupted, or it might have formed in an environment where gravitational influences from nearby galaxies prevented it from developing a more regular shape. 



Studying its motion and the distribution of its stars can provide clues about any past interactions it may have experienced.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-glimpse-into-the-early-universe">A glimpse into the early universe </h2>



ESO 300-16 also provides a glimpse into what some galaxies in the early <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/universe-is-expanding-faster-than-science-can-explain-hubble-tension-physics-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">universe</a> might have looked like. 



Many early galaxies were irregular in shape before evolving into more structured forms over time. As a result, studying nearby irregular galaxies like ESO 300-16 can offer valuable analogs for understanding galaxy formation in the distant past.



Although ESO 300-16 is not one of the most famous galaxies, it remains an important object for astronomers studying irregular galaxies, star formation, and the role of interactions in shaping galactic structures. 



Image Credit: ESA



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Ghostly galaxy in the constellation Eridanus

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency...

The Baluchistan pygmy jerboa, also known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baluchistan_pygmy_jerboa">Salpingotulus michaelis</a>, or dwarf three-toed jerboa, is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. Adults average only 4.4 cm (1.7 in) in head and body length, with the tail averaging 8 cm (3.1 in). Adult females weigh 3.75 g (0.132 oz). In the 1999 Guinness Book of Records, it was listed as tied for the smallest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/adorable-rodent-brink-extinction/">rodent</a> in the world. Baluchistan pygmy jerboa is a nocturnal animal that moves through the desert in long hops, balancing with the tail.

Baluchistan pygmy jerboa

The Baluchistan pygmy jerboa, also known as Salpingotulus michaelis, or...

Speckled,Tortoise,In,Closeup,,Small,Turtle,Specie,From,Africa,,Endangered

Speckled Padloper tortoise, also known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chersobius_signatus">Chersobius signatus</a>, is the world's smallest species of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/conservationists-brand-tortoise-shells/">tortoise</a>. These animals live in rocky outcrops, eating small succulents which exist between the rocks and which are easily accessed by them. The Speckled Padloper tortoise is threatened by traffic and habitat destruction, as well as poaching for the pet trade. This pet trade is very strict and illegal.

Speckled Padloper tortoise

Speckled Padloper tortoise, also known as Chersobius signatus, is the...

The,Philippine,Tarsier,(carlito,Syrichta),Is,A,Species,Of,Tarsier

Philippine tarsier, known locally as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_tarsier">mawumag</a>, are endemic to the Philippines. The Philippine tarsier measures 85 to 160 mm (3.35 to 6.30 in) in height, making it one of the smallest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/demand-commodities-primates-extinction/">primates</a>. The small size makes it difficult to spot because they weight is between 80–160 g (2.8–5.6 oz). This amazing creature is found in the southeastern part of the archipelago.

Philippine tarsier

Philippine tarsier, known locally as mawumag, are endemic to the...

The pink fairy armadillo, or pichiciego, is the smallest species of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armadillo">armadillo</a>. It is also known by the scientific name of Chlamyphorus truncatus. The solitary, desert-adapted animal can be found on sandy plains, dunes, and scrubby grasslands in central <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/lake-mar-chiquita-in-argentina/">Argentina. </a>The decrease  in population for this species has been attributed to farming activities and predators, including domestic dogs and cats.

Pink fairy armadillo

The pink fairy armadillo, or pichiciego, is the smallest species...

Landslides erupt after Haiti's deadly earthquake Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> shows landslides erupting throughout the Pic Macaya National Park in southwestern Haiti after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck the island on August 14, 2021.

The epicenter of the earthquake centered about 60 miles west of Haitian capital of Port-Au-Prince, which was devastated by an earthquake in 2010.

According to<a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=nasa&amp;cvid=048002c656784c2d8bca6103007414e1&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59j0l8.942j0j4&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS"> NASA</a>, both earthquakes occurred along the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault, an area where two tectonic plates grind against each other.

The U.S. Geological Survey reports that the most recent earthquake in Haiti exposed more than one million people to very strong to severe shaking. Thousands of people were injured, and the death toll continues to rise. At this point, there are more than 1,400 confirmed deaths. 

The situation looks even more dire for Haiti as tropical depression Grace is predicted to dump up to 10 inches of rain on the areas hit hardest by the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/melting-glaciers-are-fueling-earthquakes-in-alaska/">earthquake.</a>

“Some hillslopes that have been destabilized by the earthquake but did not become landslides may be pushed past the limit of stability by the rain, leading to further landslides,” said Robert Emberson, a landslide expert with NASA’s Earth Applied Sciences Disasters Program. 

“Debris and rock already mobilized by the earthquake may be transported by flash flooding as devastating debris flows. The material is mostly at the base of hills currently, but rivers quickly filled by rain could push that downstream and cause severe impacts to communities living farther from the location of the landslides.”

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory 

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Landslides erupt after Haiti's deadly earthquake

Landslides erupt after Haiti's deadly earthquake Today's Image of the...

Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> shows the largest bloom of algae ever recorded in the Yellow Sea off the coast of Qingdao, China. The photo was captured on June 19, 2021, with the Hawkeye sensor on the SeaHawk CubeSat.

According to NASA, the algal species in the image is Ulva prolifera, a common green seaweed that is not toxic to people or marine life. Also known as “sea lettuce,” this seaweed is edible and nutritious. However, large amounts of decaying algae can deplete water of oxygen and kill fish. 

Lin Qi, a remote sensing and marine scientist at University of South Florida (USF), explained that blooms of Ulva prolifera typically start showing up in the western Yellow Sea in May, peak in June, and persist into July or August. 

Chuanmin Hu, who is also a marine scientist at USF, noted that most researchers agree that blooms of U. Prolifera originate around the vast aquaculture operations to the south off of Jiangsu Province. 

“What’s really unique in this image is its optimal combination of coverage and resolution,” said Hu. 

“There are other satellite sensors that show the same bloom, but they are either too coarse in resolution or too narrow in coverage (with the exception of Sentinel-2 sensors). The HawkEye image shows the U. Prolifera slicks so vividly in one image, which can certainly reduce uncertainties when estimating bloom size.”

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory 

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Massive algae bloom in the Yellow Sea

Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory shows...

Today's Image of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features a satellite view of wildfires and smoke in Greece. The photo was captured on August 8 by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on Suomi NPP.

For the first two weeks of August 2021, Greece has endured a series of devastating wildfires. A blaze on the island of Evia has left behind catastrophic damage in heavily forested areas in the northern part of the island. 

Pine forests, vineyards, and olive groves - which support the livelihoods of thousands of people - have been lost in northern Evia. Many other residents depend on tourism. 

What remains of the island was largely saved by volunteers, as the government response was focused on other fires throughout the country. 

According to the Associated Press, about 123,000 acres have burned on Evia, as well as hundreds of homes and businesses.

The fires erupted just after Greece experienced one of its most severe heatwaves in decades. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told news agencies that the fire outbreak has been a “disaster of unprecedented proportions.”

In the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), scientists from NASA and other agencies warn that the planet is warming even faster than expected as a result of human activities. The experts noted that the impacts of global warming are already widespread and severe. 

“The frequency and intensity of hot extremes have increased in recent decades and are projected to keep increasing regardless of the greenhouse gas emissions scenario," the report stated.  

"Despite strong internal variability, observed trends in European mean and extreme temperatures cannot be explained without accounting for anthropogenic factors.

The scientists said that without deep reductions in carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gas emissions, the global warming targets established by the Paris Agreement will be exceeded in the next few decades.

Image Credit: ESA 

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Greece endures a “disaster of unprecedented proportions"

Wildfire devastates the Greek island of Evia Today's Image of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Greek island of Evia, where thousands of people have had to evacuate to escape devastating wildfires.

Extreme heat has fueled fires in parts of the Mediterranean and central Europe, and Evia is one of the hardest hit areas. 

According to ESA, fires have burned through large forested areas and destroyed homes and businesses on the island. Also Wildfire devastates the Greek island of Evia shown in the picture Its geographic orientation is from northwest to southeast, and it is traversed throughout its length by a mountain range, which forms part of the chain that bounds Thessaly on the east, and is continued south of Euboea in the lofty islands of Andros, Tinos and Mykonos.

Some countries have hit record highs during the summer heatwave. The Italian island of Sicily recorded a high of 48.8°C, nearly 120°F, which could be the hottest temperature ever recorded in Europe. 

The false-color Copernicus Sentinel-2 image was captured on August 11, 2021. The photo has been processed in a way that makes vegetation visible in bright red and burned areas visible in shades of brown and green.

Image Credit: ESA 

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Wildfire devastates the Greek island of Evia

Wildfire devastates the Greek island of Evia Today's Image of...

Rays,Of,Light,Passing,Through,Cyberspace.,Communication,Network,Concept.

At the scale of atoms and electrons, walls are not always walls. A particle that lacks the energy to climb a barrier can still appear on the far side, a curiosity known as “quantum tunneling.” 



In the heart of the Sun, this quirk lets hydrogen nuclei fuse quickly enough to keep daylight streaming toward Earth.



Physicists have puzzled over how long the hop through the barrier actually takes. Some experiments hinted that the leap happens so swiftly that it appears <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dark-matter-may-consist-of-particles-that-travel-faster-than-light/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">faster than light</a>, brushing against the limits set by Einstein’s special relativity. 



Others clocked a small but finite delay. The debate has rolled on because time, slippery even in classical physics, becomes downright elusive in the quantum world.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-quantum-tunneling-defies-classical-limits">Quantum tunneling defies classical limits</h2>



Classical rules say a baseball that can’t clear a fence bounces back, end of story. In the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-faster-than-light-tachyons-fit-into-the-special-theory-of-relativity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">quantum picture</a>, particles behave as waves that seep into and even through obstacles. 



A sliver of the wave survives inside the forbidden zone, giving the particle a genuine chance to show up on the other side. 



Engineers tap that chance in flash memory, Josephson junctions, and scanning tunneling microscopes that map surfaces atom by atom.



Because the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dark-photon-theory-casts-doubt-on-double-slit-experiment-quantum-light-interference-pattern/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wave spreads out</a>, deciding where to mark the particle’s position is tricky. 



Earlier timing experiments fixed on the crest of the outgoing wave and reported that the particle covered more ground than a free-flying counterpart in the same span, implying superluminal travel. 



Those results stirred excitement but also skepticism, as the crest is a moving pattern, not a point-like traveler.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-trying-to-define-time">Trying to define "time"</h2>



Physicists Patrik Schach and Enno Giese of <a href="https://www.tu-darmstadt.de/index.en.jsp" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">TU Darmstadt</a> think the stopwatch itself was misread. “But the particle does not follow a path in the classical sense,” objects Giese. 



If you can’t pin down where the traveler is, measuring when it arrives gets murky. Instead of treating the atom as a marble darting through a tunnel, the pair propose using the atom as its own clock.



Their design, outlined in Science Advances, borrows a page from atomic timekeeping. They prepare each atom in a blend of two <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-oddity-points-to-new-class-of-subatomic-particles-fractional-charges-excitons/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">internal energy states</a> and send it toward an optical barrier. 



With a technique akin to a Ramsey sequence, the two states tick against each other while the atom either tunnels or reflects. A reference atom that faces no barrier runs alongside, giving a direct comparison.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pocket-watches-and-quantum-tunnels">Pocket watches and quantum tunnels</h2>



“Time is what you read off a clock.” Einstein’s quip fits snugly here. The oscillation between the two energy levels works like a wristwatch small enough to ride the atom. 



If tunneling slows the tick, the phase between the levels shifts. Detecting that shift after a second laser pulse reveals how much time elapsed during the barrier encounter.



Calculations show the tunneled clock lags by about 10^-26 seconds - roughly a hundred septillionths of a second. That delay, though vanishingly small, is measurable with clouds of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/edge-state-atoms-how-electrons-find-their-groove-in-frictionless-flow/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ultracold atoms</a> whose collective signal boosts sensitivity. 



The approach dodges the need to guess where the particle is at each instant and stays faithful to quantum principles.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-building-a-fair-stopwatch">Building a fair stopwatch</h2>



A companion atom that never meets the barrier keeps regular time, letting researchers spot any lag or lead. “The tunneled clock is slightly older than the other,” says Schach. 



The outcome undercuts earlier claims of speeds beyond light and reframes the question: tunneling might feel instantaneous, yet its inner clock shows the journey costs a pinch of time.



Capturing such a slight slippage is no picnic. Lasers must maintain phase stability with dizzying precision, and stray magnetic fields must be kept in check. 



Using atom clouds spreads the work over many identically prepared clocks, and raising the transition frequency - much like switching from a wristwatch to an optical clock - amplifies the effect.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-does-any-of-this-matter">Why does any of this matter?</h2>



Sorting out tunneling time is more than settling an academic quarrel. Quantum engineers push devices toward ever <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/images-of-single-atoms-moving-freely-through-space-captured-for-the-first-time/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">thinner barriers</a> in transistors and sensors, where picosecond wiggles can make or break performance. 



A crisp measure of tunneling time feeds directly into models that predict leakage currents, coherence losses, and heat budgets in next-generation chips and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ultra-cold-molecules-poised-to-revolutionize-quantum-computing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">quantum processors</a>.



On the fundamental side, timing the hop tests how quantum mechanics meshes with relativity. 



If the Darmstadt scheme proves that tunneling never outpaces light once the clock rides with the particle, one more apparent paradox evaporates, tightening the weave between the two towering theories of modern physics.



“We are currently discussing this idea with experimental colleagues and are in contact with our project partners,” adds Giese.



Laboratories already pushing atom interferometers to probe gravity or hunt dark matter may pivot to give the tunneling clock a spin. 



Success would not just timestamp a famous quantum trick; it would hand scientists a new metrological tool, ready to keep pace with particles that treat walls like suggestions rather than commands.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adl6078" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>.



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Breaking the light speed barrier with quantum tunneling – the debate gets heated

At the scale of atoms and electrons, walls are not...

Clos,Eup,Of,A,Woman,Wand,Touching,River,Water,In

Scientists have long mapped separate brain areas for sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. Yet new research reveals that when we focus sharply on any of those senses, signals converge on the same two structures buried deep in the brain - the midbrain reticular formation and the central thalamus.



This finding highlights a shared neural pathway that sustains <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/our-brain-stops-paying-attention-to-repeated-distractions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">attention</a> and wakefulness and could inspire therapies for coma, epilepsy, and attention-deficit disorders.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-senses-in-a-single-brain-region">Senses in a single brain region</h2>



Research over the past century has shown that visual scenes activate the occipital cortex, melodies light up the temporal lobes, and so forth.



“We were expecting to find activity on shared networks, but when we saw all the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/our-sense-of-smell-and-different-odors-can-influence-how-we-see-colors/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">senses</a> light up the same central brain regions while a test subject was focusing, it was really astonishing,” said Aya Khalaf, a postdoctoral associate in neurology at <a href="https://medicine.yale.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Yale School of Medicine</a> and lead author of the study.



Those two regions - the reticular formation, a mesh of neurons in the upper brainstem, and the intralaminar and mediodorsal nuclei of the thalamus - form part of the so-called subcortical arousal system, a set of circuits long suspected to regulate alertness and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/consciousness-may-stem-from-unseen-dimensions-beyond-our-reality/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">consciousness</a>.



Previous work had linked these hubs to vigilance by studying patients emerging from coma or experiencing absence seizures. But most of those experiments examined responses to a single type of stimulus, for example flashing lights or chirping sounds.



Khalaf and colleagues asked the broader question: do different senses share the same arousal circuitry when people deliberately pay attention?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-massive-data-mine">A massive data mine</h2>



To answer that, the team turned to the publicly available <a href="https://www.humanconnectome.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Human Connectome Project</a> and other repositories, assembling functional MRI scans from 1,561 healthy adults.



Across 11 tasks, participants viewed moving shapes, listened to spoken stories, sampled liquid tastants, or felt puffs of air on their fingertips. Each task included abrupt cues that forced subjects to switch attention - for instance, a sudden change in picture orientation or a surprise tone embedded in white noise.



The investigators processed more than 500 hours of scan data through a pipeline that removed head motion and physiological noise, then aligned brain volumes to a common atlas.



In every sensory domain, when a cue demanded rapid attentional re-orientation, blood-oxygen signals spiked in the reticular formation and the central thalamus. The effect was absent or minimal during passive stimulation, underscoring the importance of active engagement.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-consciousness-in-the-brain">Consciousness in the brain</h2>



Why would a taste test and a vision task end up at the same neural address? The authors propose that the midbrain reticular formation integrates sudden sensory changes and broadcasts a “wake-up” volley to the thalamus, which relays it to widespread cortical areas.



That burst synchronizes cortical rhythms, priming the brain to process incoming information. The scheme dovetails with classical animal studies showing that electrical stimulation of the reticular formation induces cortical desynchronization and behavioral arousal, while lesions produce stupor.



“It tells us how important this brain region is and what it could mean in efforts to restore consciousness,” Khalaf said.



“This has also given us insights into how things work normally in the brain. It’s really a step forward in our understanding of awareness and consciousness,” said senior author Hal Blumenfeld, a neurologist at Yale.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-awakening-senses-in-the-brain">Awakening senses in the brain</h2>



Because the same deep-brain hubs fire regardless of which sense is active, treatments aimed at modulating those hubs could benefit diverse conditions.



Drugs that enhance thalamic neurotransmission, for instance, might improve focus in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/autism-and-adhd-disorders-directly-linked-amount-of-time-kids-spend-on-screens/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">attention deficit hyperactivity disorder</a>. Conversely, overactivity in the arousal circuit has been implicated in insomnia; dampening the circuitry could help induce sleep.



The results also support ongoing trials that deliver low-intensity ultrasound or deep-brain electrodes to the central thalamus in patients with disorders of consciousness. 



If attention triggers the thalamus to “switch on” the cortex, stimulating it directly might help rouse patients who are minimally conscious.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-sensory-rehabilitation"><a></a>Rethinking sensory rehabilitation</h2>



The discovery challenges sensory-specific training programs that ignore subcortical commonalities. 



For example, visual rehabilitation for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stroke-risk-is-elevated-by-air-pollution-and-traffic-noise/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stroke</a> survivors may benefit from pairing attentional cues with tactile or auditory tasks to engage the shared arousal pathway.



Likewise, virtual-reality therapies that bombard users with multi-sensory surprises might more effectively sharpen attentional control.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-directions">Future research directions </h2>



The Yale team plans to refine the timeline of activation using magnetoencephalography, which offers millisecond resolution. They also hope to dissect the frequency bands that link the thalamus to frontal and parietal cortices during attentional jumps. 



Such work could reveal whether gamma-band bursts or alpha-band suppression carry the critical “wake-up” message.



Another frontier involves patients. Investigators will compare responses in healthy volunteers with those in people who have attention deficits or who are emerging from anaesthesia. 



Identifying a lost or delayed thalamic spike could serve as a biomarker for impaired consciousness.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brain-regions-and-the-senses">Brain regions and the senses</h2>



For now, the study establishes the midbrain reticular formation and central thalamus as the universal relay through which sight, sound, taste, and touch gain conscious entry - at least when our minds snap to attention.



By showing that “all the senses light up the same central brain regions,” it confirms that consciousness depends not only on specialized cortical maps but also on a common deep-brain gatekeeper. 



Therapies that target this gatekeeper may eventually help restore awareness where it has dimmed and sharpen it where it wanders.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811925002277?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NeuroImage</a>.



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Scientists discover a brain region that connects all the senses

Scientists have long mapped separate brain areas for sight, hearing,...

An unprecedented survey of nearly 5,500 plant communities across 119 regions has uncovered a hidden ecological deficit: in landscapes with heavy human pressure, typical habitats contain barely one-fifth of the species they could support.



The international <a href="https://macroecology.ut.ee/en/darkdivnet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DarkDivNet</a> consortium - whose members include the Biodiversity and Evolution Research Group at the <a href="https://www.ehu.eus/en/en-home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of the Basque Country</a> (UPV/EHU) - reached this conclusion by analyzing “dark diversity,” the pool of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-plant-diversity-can-help-combat-climate-change/%C3%B9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plant</a> species that should thrive in a site yet are absent.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-measuring-human-pressure-on-plants">Measuring human pressure on plants</h2>



Conventional field studies tally the species that are present, but the DarkDivNet team flipped that approach. 



For every one-hectare plot, the researchers used climate, soil, and regional species pools to predict the full roster of plants likely to live there under natural conditions. They compared this “potential community” with the species that actually grew on the ground. 



Conventional approaches to measuring <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/feeding-the-world-without-harming-nature-the-complex-balance-of-farming/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">biodiversity</a>, which focus solely on counting the species currently present and ignore those that could potentially inhabit an area, often downplay the full extent of human influence on ecosystems.



Because the technique captures loss before it becomes obvious, it serves as an early-warning system and a yard-stick for restoration goals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-pristine-reserves-to-patchy-farmlands"><a></a>From pristine reserves to patchy farmlands</h2>



The DarkDivNet project was conceived by Meelis Pärtel of the <a href="https://ut.ee/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Tartu</a> and launched in 2018. Since then, research teams on every continent have followed a single protocol to ensure results are comparable.



One contribution came from lecturers Idoia Biurrun-Galarraga and Juan Antonio Campos-Prieto (UPV/EHU), who mapped 55 plots in Spain’s Gorbeia Nature Reserve, focusing on beech woods and upland heaths. 



Data gathering spanned five field seasons and navigated hurdles such as COVID-19 travel bans and political unrest affecting partner institutions.



To rate human pressure, the scientists turned to the <a href="https://hub.arcgis.com/maps/65518e782be04e7db31de65d53d591a9/about" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Human Footprint Index</a>, a composite measure that integrates population density, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/using-more-land-agricultural-expansion-will-harm-climate-and-biodiversity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">land-use</a> conversion, and infrastructure such as roads. Scores ranged from virtually undisturbed wilderness to intensively farmed or urbanized territory.



The resulting pattern was stark. Sites in low-footprint zones harbored about one-third of their potential species - already a significant shortfall caused mainly by natural dispersal limits. Where the footprint was high, realized diversity slumped to 20 percent.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-pressure-beyond-plant-life">Human pressure beyond plant life</h2>



The deficit is not confined to places where bulldozers roar or fields extend to the horizon. Modelling showed that roads, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/understanding-how-air-pollution-forms-may-help-us-prevent-it/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pollution</a>, and land-use change depress diversity hundreds of kilometers away, even inside protected areas.



According to the authors, the results “are alarming because they show that human disturbance exerts a much greater impact than initially thought, even reaching protected areas far from the source of human impact. 



Pollution, deforestation, overgrazing, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fewer-forest-fires-happen-today-than-in-the-past-ironically-causes-bigger-issues/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">forest fires</a> can exclude plant species from their natural habitats, preventing them from recolonizing.”



Yet the study did uncover a mitigating factor. Landscapes in which at least one-third of total area remains intact fare markedly better; species stranded in little-touched blocks can drift back into damaged patches.



“The negative influence of human activity was less pronounced when at least one third of a region's area remained well preserved, which supports the global goal of protecting 30% of the planet's surface,” the authors wrote. 



The finding lends empirical weight to the “30 by 30” conservation target adopted in the 2022 <a href="https://www.cbd.int/gbf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dark-diversity-and-hidden-issues">Dark diversity and hidden issues</h2>



Identifying which species should be present but are missing allows land managers to diagnose underlying problems - be it altered fire regimes, livestock browsing, or lost <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pollinators-face-extinction-risk-due-to-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pollinators</a> - and to direct re-introductions where they stand a fighting chance. 



In restoration projects, the metric can reveal whether ecosystem recovery from human disturbance is on track long before plant counts return to pre-disturbance numbers.



Because the same protocol works in grasslands, forests, and wetlands, DarkDivNet data provide a common currency for comparing impacts and gauging trade-offs among land-use policies worldwide. 



The approach can also highlight priority corridors between intact refuges, where recolonization pressure is greatest.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-directions">Future research directions </h2>



The network plans to extend its reach to under-sampled biomes and to layer animal and fungal dark-diversity maps onto the botanical baseline, producing a multidimensional picture of ecological debt. 



Remote-sensing teams are testing whether patterns of missing species leave spectral fingerprints detectable by drones or satellites.



For now, the project delivers a sobering message: even where forests still stand tall and fields appear green, a silent erosion is under way.



By documenting both visible and invisible losses, dark-diversity analysis reveals the full scope of human influence - and spotlights how much of the living world can return if true refuges are safeguarded across at least 30 percent of every region.



The global tally of species we fail to see, in other words, may be the most important conservation number we need to track.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08814-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



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Human pressure has a hidden impact on plant diversity

An unprecedented survey of nearly 5,500 plant communities across 119...

Every third Friday of May, we pause to recognize the fragile existence of endangered species. We share the planet with countless animals, plants, and insects. Yet, many of them are vanishing right before our eyes. National Endangered Species Day urges us to take action before it’s too late.



The day was established in 2006 by the U.S. Congress to raise awareness about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-wildlife-day-2025-a-global-call-to-protect-nature/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">species</a> at risk of extinction. But the issue goes back decades. Laws to protect endangered species have been around for over 40 years.



Today, the urgency remains the same. Species are still disappearing, and their habitats are under threat.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-makes-a-species-endangered">What makes a species endangered?</h2>



When the last of a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saving-earths-most-endangered-plants-from-extinction-proving-difficult-botanic-gardens/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">species</a> vanishes, it’s gone forever. Endangered species hover dangerously close to that fate. Their numbers are so low that every birth counts, every death matters. Some hover in the thousands, others in the hundreds, and a few are down to mere tens.



Why do species disappear? The reasons are many. Habitat loss drives some to extinction. Climate change alters their environment, making it uninhabitable. Poaching and illegal trade push animals like rhinos and elephants to the brink.



Pollution seeps into ecosystems, poisoning marine life and birds. And sometimes, humans disrupt delicate ecosystems without realizing the consequences.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-ripple-effect-of-extinction">The ripple effect of extinction</h2>



When a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-endangered-primate-species-identified-in-new-report/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">species</a> vanishes, it doesn’t go quietly. The loss ripples through ecosystems. A predator disappears, and prey populations explode. Plants die off, and animals lose their food source. The web of life is fragile, and every species has a role.



Take pollinators, for instance. Bees, butterflies, and bats help plants reproduce. If they disappear, crops fail, and food chains collapse. The same goes for apex predators. 



When wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone, they restored balance by controlling deer populations. When keystone species vanish, chaos follows.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-learning-from-the-past">Learning from the past</h2>



In the early 1970s, the Endangered Species Act set strict guidelines for protecting at-risk <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-the-largest-threat-to-u-s-endangered-species/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">species</a> in the United States. It prohibited activities that could harm these animals and their habitats. It also laid the groundwork for conservation efforts worldwide.



Since then, thousands of species have been added to endangered lists. Some, like the bald eagle, have made remarkable recoveries. Others, like the vaquita porpoise, remain on the brink.



Today, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (<a href="https://iucn.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IUCN</a>) tracks endangered species globally. Its Red List reveals a grim reality. Over 41,000 species face extinction. That includes more than a quarter of all mammals, one in eight birds, and a staggering 40% of amphibians.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-taking-action-on-endangered-species-day">Taking action on Endangered Species Day</h2>



National Endangered Species Day isn’t just about learning facts and figures. It’s about taking action. Conservation organizations host events, workshops, and fundraisers. Many zoos and nature centers offer guided tours, showing visitors how they care for endangered animals.



Some activities are simple yet impactful. Share photos of endangered species on social media. Spread the word about why these creatures matter. Support local conservation projects. 



Even small actions, like planting native flowers for bees or reducing plastic waste, can help protect fragile <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-day-2025-what-were-really-fighting-for/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ecosystems</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exploring-endangered-species-with-tech">Exploring endangered species with tech</h2>



Technology brings endangered species closer to home. Apps like <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EarthSnap</a> engage people in documenting local wildlife, creating snapshots of biodiversity in real time.



With EarthSnap, users can photograph plants and animals to identify species, contributing to a growing database of endangered life forms. This information becomes valuable data for conservationists tracking population changes and habitat loss. 



Meanwhile, virtual reality experiences transport people to remote habitats, offering immersive glimpses of endangered ecosystems. By bringing these distant worlds closer, technology fosters connection and urgency - reminding us of what’s at stake if species continue to vanish.



Online databases like the IUCN Red List provide up-to-date information on endangered species. They reveal how many individuals remain, what threats they face, and what’s being done to save them. The goal is to make people aware - and inspire them to act.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-supporting-global-conservation-efforts">Supporting global conservation efforts</h2>



Conservation requires resources, time, and unwavering commitment. Organizations like the World Wildlife Federation and the <a href="https://janegoodall.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jane Goodall Institute</a> work tirelessly to protect endangered species. They fund anti-poaching efforts, rehabilitate injured animals, and restore habitats.



Individuals can help too. Donate to wildlife organizations. Volunteer at local conservation centers. Adopt sustainable habits such as using less plastic or buying sustainably sourced products. Every choice, no matter how small, can make a difference.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-future-worth-protecting">A future worth protecting</h2>



National Endangered Species Day reminds us that time is running out for many species. The fate of these animals, plants, and insects isn’t set in stone. We have the power to change their stories.



Saving endangered species isn’t just about protecting animals. It’s about preserving ecosystems, supporting biodiversity, and ensuring a balanced, thriving planet for future generations. And that future starts with us.



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National Endangered Species Day: Protecting life on the brink

Every third Friday of May, we pause to recognize the...

The discovery of a fossilized femur belonging to a cerapodan dinosaur has caused a stir, mainly because of its great age. The discovery team credits the fossilized partial left femur for rewriting the timeline of cerapodan evolution. 



Many dinosaur fans have heard of Tyrannosaurus, Velociraptor, and the famed Triceratops. Few people, however, know about the <a href="https://www.dinochecker.com/dinosaurfaqs/what-is-cerapoda" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cerapoda</a>, a group of plant-eating dinosaurs that once included creatures as varied as duck-billed hadrosaurs and horned ceratopsians. The new fossil find from Morocco may change that.



<a href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/people/susannah-maidment.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Susannah Maidment</a>, a paleontologist with the Natural History Museum, London, and the University of Birmingham, contributed to the analysis and presented an in-depth look at the significance of this dinosaur fossil.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-uncovering-a-hidden-dinosaur-chapter">Uncovering a hidden dinosaur chapter</h2>



Scientists have known cerapodans existed during the Late Jurassic Period and beyond, but older specimens were scarce. 



This new partial femur is about 165 million years old, making it the earliest body fossil of a cerapodan ever documented.



Paleontologists spotted unique features on the femur that matched traits seen only in cerapodans. They identified its distinct femoral head and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1017/S1477201907002271" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">trochanter arrangement</a>, which suggests this dinosaur belongs in the same lineage as hadrosaurs and ceratopsians.&nbsp;



“Cerapoda is a diverse clade of ornithischian dinosaurs with a global distribution,” said Dr. Maidment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-it-matters">Why it matters</h2>



Some of the footprints left in <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/234025996_Dinosaur_Distribution" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Middle Jurassic</a> rocks belong to cerapodans, indicating that they existed at that time. 



Yet the dinosaur fossils have mostly remained elusive. Now, a well-dated femur supports the idea that these dinosaurs had branched out sooner than once believed.



This single bone is important for another reason. It could fill in gaps about early cerapodan adaptations such as stance, limb structure, and herbivorous feeding strategies, which shaped the success of later forms.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-confirming-the-fossil-femur-s-age">Confirming the fossil femur's age</h2>



Scientists examined the rock layers from the region. They used established geological markers to link the deposit to the Middle Jurassic, specifically around 165 million years ago. 



They then compared that data with previous knowledge of dinosaur-bearing rock layers, worldwide, to confirm the femur’s antiquity.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/dinosaur_cerapode_femur_worlds-oldest_credit_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/dinosaur_ornithischian_small-herbivorous_fossil-bones_credit-Royal-Society_1s-1.webp" alt="The proximal femur of a cerapodan dinosaur from the El Mers III Formation of the Middle Atlas Mountains, Morocco. Image credit: Maidment et al." class="wp-image-1969937"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The proximal femur of a cerapodan dinosaur from the El Mers III Formation of the Middle Atlas Mountains, Morocco. Click image to enlarge. Image credit: Maidment et al.</figcaption></figure>



Paleontologists also matched the bone’s shape to known cerapodan traits. They ruled out earlier, or more primitive, ornithischians by analyzing the femoral head and trochanteric region. 



Their results support this dinosaur's place among the cerapodans.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hoping-for-more-dinosaur-fossil-finds">Hoping for more dinosaur fossil finds</h2>



Experts suggest this find may be just the start. As field teams continue to search underexplored strata in Morocco, more <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/collagen-discovered-in-70-million-year-old-dinosaur-fossil/">remnants</a> of dinosaurs from the same era may emerge.



Hopes run high that better-preserved fossils will be discovered. Then scientists can figure out how these dinosaurs evolved from lean, bipedal ancestors into large-bodied herbivores with remarkable jaw structures.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-connecting-the-dots">Connecting the dots</h2>



<a href="https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/diapsids/ornithischia/ornithischia.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ornithischian</a> dinosaurs, which include cerapodans, are recognized for having a hip structure distinct from other dinosaur groups. Their broad distribution hints at early adaptability in numerous environments worldwide.



But many segments of cerapodan history remain poorly understood. 



Each fossil from the Middle Jurassic helps scientists piece together their branching family tree, and bridges the gap between smaller, older ornithischians and the famous giants that came later.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fresh-insights-on-dinosaur-diversity">Fresh insights on dinosaur diversity</h2>



The Moroccan femur gives a rare glimpse into dinosaurs that laid groundwork for entire herds of plant-eaters in the Cretaceous. 



Researchers see these early cerapodans as nimble browsers that paved the way for the robust quadrupeds of later ages.



The new evidence also suggests multiple herbivorous lineages diversified simultaneously. That might explain why cerapodans, alongside other plant-eating groups, grew so common in certain ancient ecosystems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-beyond-the-fossil-femur">Beyond the fossil femur</h2>



Paleontologists note how a single fossil can answer questions about dinosaur dispersal. North Africa likely served as a corridor for many species, showing how some lineages reached global prominence by the <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/270692144_Paleobiology_of_Herbivorous_Dinosaurs" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Late Jurassic</a>.



Though naming a new species from one fragment is impossible, the fossil stands as a teaser. Further excavations could reveal a fossilized skeleton with jaws, spine, or limb bones that clarify how these dinosaurs thrived in shifting environments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bridging-evolutionary-gaps">Bridging evolutionary gaps</h2>



This earliest-known cerapodan challenges assumptions about the tempo of dinosaur evolution. Until recently, the group’s best-dated fossils were usually found in younger rocks. 



The gap between the earliest cerapodans and their later, more famous relatives had proved a mystery.



A femur alone does not tell the whole story. Yet it indicates that cerapodan <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/organic-molecules-collagen-discovered-in-66-million-year-old-dinosaur-bones/">dinosaurs</a> were expanding long before the Late Jurassic, and it pushes their known origins far deeper back in time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dinosaur-behavior-and-biology">Dinosaur behavior and biology</h2>



Cerapodans likely shared early traits like bipedal posture. Some later subgroups became quadrupeds, and evolved specialized jaws for processing tough vegetation. 



How they shifted their limb posture and feeding methods remains one of paleontology’s key puzzles.



Continued study of limb bones could reveal transitional features. It might even show how rapidly cerapodans increased in size compared with their ancestors.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bigger-picture-of-jurassic-ecosystems">Bigger picture of Jurassic ecosystems</h2>



Each new fossil offers a snapshot of environments that existed roughly 165 million years ago. This cerapodan bone indicates that certain ecological niches were already available to specialized plant-eaters at that time.



Paleontologists see the Middle Jurassic as a stage of experimentation among dinosaur <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dinosaur-eggs-found-in-utah-belong-to-multiple-species/">lineages</a>. The Moroccan femur provides evidence that these animals were more widespread and varied than previously thought.



The study is published in <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.241624" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Royal Society Open Science</a>.



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World's oldest ceropode has been found: A 165-million-year-old femur

The discovery of a fossilized femur belonging to a cerapodan...

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing it with probiotics and prebiotics, aiming to create a treat that satisfies cravings while supporting gut health. 



The challenge lies in maintaining chocolate's beloved texture and flavor while adding health benefits.



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Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



Prebiotics act as food for these microbes, helping them thrive. Together, they form "synbiotics," a powerful health combination.



Researchers Smriti Gaur and Shubhi Singh from India's Jaypee Institute of Information Technology took an innovative approach, using natural prebiotics like corn and honey instead of complex processing methods. 



They created five chocolate varieties: a control and four synbiotic versions containing different combinations of prebiotics, probiotics (Lactobacillus strains), and flavor enhancers (cinnamon or orange).



Laboratory simulations of human digestion showed the probiotics remained viable for over five hours, suggesting they could survive long enough to benefit gut health.



Taste tests were positive, with researchers particularly enjoying the orange-flavored variety, describing it as having "vibrant citrus notes" complementing the "rich cocoa" with a "luxurious" texture.



This research represents just the beginning. With further refinement of strains, textures, and flavors, chocolate could evolve beyond mere indulgence to become a functional food that nourishes while it delights.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.4c00741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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Hubble spotlights galaxies in the constellation Virgo

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